Montblanc 149 (F) And Pilot Custom 823 (F)

June 3, 2011

Introduction

I have been using fountain pens since my school days many years ago but stopped using them a few years ago after losing a couple of expensive pens in quick succession.

My interest in fountain pens was resurrected recently after I had decided to learn Chinese writing and hoped that a fountain pen would add some fun to this endeavour.

So off I went to window-shop at some of the few remaining pen shops (non-boutique) in Hong Kong. My first target was a Cartier Pasha since I was so pleased with the Cartier that I had previously used. With the inflation in pen prices in the last few years, the price of at least USD700 left me in shock and so I wanted to find something cheaper.

My search eventually led me to the Fountain Pen Network and the library of reviews with mouth-watering photographs opened up a whole plethora of targets that included many brands that I were not familiar with.

Eventually I settled for a Pilot Custom 823 with fine nib as a demonstrator-type pen was a novelty to me and also Japanese fine nibs were well-suited to writing Chinese characters.

Having played with the 823 for a week or two, I was craving for another pen. Further browsing of the FPN site (almost daily for the past month) piqued my interest in Pelikans. I was considering either an M800 or M1000 but was put off by the prices as I had already spent USD200 on the 823 and thought that I was splashing out too much. Nonetheless, I wanted to try out a Pelikan as the reviews were so full of praise for their superior nib quality and smoothness of their pistons.

A Pelikan 215 with bold nib was therefore added to my collection of 2 new fountain pens. I picked a bold nib as I wanted something opposite to the Pilot fine.

The 215 was too small for my hands and my interest in it died very quickly. This pen will be relegated to signature purposes only (the nib is good for this and the size of the pen would not be too much of a concern when signing the occasional report).

A few more weeks on FPN and after some dithering, I bought the Montblanc 149 to form the flagship of my collection. I knew that a 149 might be too big and that a 146 could be a better choice but I also knew that even if I bought a 146 I would still itch to buy a 149 later. So, best to grasp the nettle: there are so many alternatives to the 146 but theres only one pen with the stature of the 149.

I shall review the 149 together with the 823 although they are not direct competitors. My scores are based from my experience on these two pens and my recollections of my previous Cartier and Caran dAche.

Appearance & Design (149 9 ; 823 6)

The design of the 149 is a classic. Although the appearance is somewhat understated compared to some of the French and Italian pens of similar quality, it somehow manages to exude a distinct aura of class. Deep black with a few dashes of gold; I am not sure whether platinum would be a better match but I am perfectly happy with black and gold. Perhaps due to the girth of the barrel and its effect on the reflection of light, the precious resin has a glowing sheen that also has a lot of depth. Perfect. Never would have thought that it was merely plastic.

My 823 is the amber/brown version. It has the same cigar shape as the 149 and is transparent until filled with ink. I am using black ink and so the demonstrator effect is not so apparent. Next to the 149, the appearance of the 823 is slightly boring and lacking in character. The gold trim does not mix so well with the amber barrel and cap. Perhaps if I use some brighter colours the 823 would take on a different personality.

Construction & Quality (149 8 ; 823 7)

The 149 is a solidly built pen that gives you confidence that it is built to last (barring any cracks in the precious resin, touch wood); just like a German car. The clip is very sturdy. However there are two complaints.

First, as noted in other reviews, when the cap is screwed onto the barrel it does not fit sufficiently snugly; it is possible to wiggle the cap left and right slightly. The 823 also exhibits such movement but to a much lesser extent.

Secondly, the piston mechanism is not as smooth as I had expected. The Pelikan 215, being so much cheaper, puts the 149 to shame in this aspect.

As soon as you pick up the 823, it is obviously that you have a plastic pen in your hand. The clip is not as stiff as on the 149 and the screw for the end cap (for the vacuum plunger) is also plastic that gives some concern to its longevity. I am impressed with the cap however, it fits snugly when screwed to the barrel or posted. I have not posted the 149 though and so cannot say whether the fit is snug.

Weight & Dimensions (149 9 ; 823 10)

The 149 is a large pen indeed. Its wide girth feels very strange at first and requires practice to write well with. It is not a heavy pen, despite appearances, and balances beautifully on the hand. I do not normally post caps when writing and have not even posted the 149 once (for fear of scratching such an expensive pen).

The 823 is slightly longer than the 149 but certainly not as wide. In fact, I think the 823s size is perfect for me. Writing with this pen does not feel tiring at all. I have tried posting the 823 but did not like the balance as it was top-heavy.

Nib & Performance (149 8 ; 823 7)

The 149s nib is such a beautiful piece of craftsmanship; it is one of the best looking nibs that I have ever used. Its two-tone colour makes it more pleasing to the eye compared to an all-gold nib. Its shape has perfect proportions and is, in my mind, what a top quality nib should look like. Some people praise the Pelikan nibs but they are too narrow to my taste.

The 823s nib has the same basic shape as the 149s nib but it is all gold and the engravings are not as attractive. The nib would look better if it was slightly wider.

The fine nib on my 149 does not write like a fine; more like a medium nib. It is smooth but still not as smooth as my previous Cartier. Perhaps it will improve with more time. The nib is sturdy but there are slight amounts of flex to the nib. I think my lack of experience in handling such a wide barrel has robbed the nib of some feel/feedback.

The fine nib of the 823 writes very narrowly indeed. This nib is perfect for its intended usage of writing Chinese characters when the pen is held more upright but I think that it is a bit fragile for my style of writing English quickly, which requires more slant. There is quite some flex to the nib and I hesitate to apply too much stress to it in case I break it. The nib is a bit on the dry side and quite scratchy. I read that the standard Pilot black ink is like this and so things might be better with other inks.

Filing System & Maintenance (149 8 ; 823 9)

As noted before, there is some resistance when turning the piston on the 149 and so things could be better. The barrel holds a large capacity but since the nib is so broad and wet the ink runs out quite quickly.

The vacuum on the 823 works wonderfully and holds a very large amount of ink (especially when using the double dip method that minimizes the remaining air bubble in the chamber to allow more ink to be stored). Also noted before, there thread for the end cap is plastic and so I do have deducted one point.

I have not tried to dismantle either pen and so do not include any observations on the ease of maintenance in the scores.

Cost & Value(149 6 ; 823 9)

The 149 cost me USD790. I could have bought one with a 15% discount from the shop where I got the 823 but I decided to buy from a boutique as I was concerned on the quality control for Montblancs and so wanted the warranty.

The 149 carries a premium that I was willing to pay for as I value its heritage (yes, I do fall for the marketing). However, when one evaluates this pen purely from aesthetics, build-quality and writing-performance factors only without regard to the Montblanc name then I would concede that the price for this pen is hard to justify when I could have got another Sailor 1911M and a Pilot Custom 845 for the same price.

The Pilot Custom 823 was bought for slightly less than USD200, without warranty. This is a very fair price indeed considering what you get : a large demonstrator with a top-notch 14K nib that looks good and writes well.

Conclusion (149 8 ; 823 8)

To me, a pen collection is not complete without a Montblanc and if I were to buy only one Montblanc it would have to be a 149. I doubt that the Montblanc would be a pen that I would use as much as I would like since it is too big to carry around and so will stay mostly in my office. I had a tough time deciding on the Montblanc; so many reasons to buy it and also as many reasons not to. In the end, I figured that if I take good care of this pen it could be in use for 20 years and so the cost would be only USD40 per year. Now, thats better value than any Apple product that sell like hot-cakes!

The Custom 823 is really a no-brainer. It is an excellent pen for the money and has really persuaded me to think seriously about buying more Japanese pens. A Pilot Custom 845 is available for around USD550 and so a bit too expensive. Perhaps a Sailor 1911M.

I shall be taking some photos over the weekend and will add them to this review later.

Edited June 3, 2011 by APHK

June 3, 2011

Here are the two pens together, showing the depth and sheen of the black "precious resin" on the 149. The 823 seems quite cheap in comparison.

The two nibs together. To me, the 149 nib is perfect. Whilst the 823's is pretty, it seems staid next to the 149.

Here, we can see the plastic thread on the filling mechanism for the 823 whereas the 149's is brass.

I use a spectacles case to hold my 149. It fits perfectly.

The 823 on the other hand fits in at an angle, showing that the 823 is surprisingly longer than the 149.

Here is a writing sample. The fine nib on my 149 writes more like a medium. I have to write larger than I normally do for this pen. The 823's nib is very fine indeed but I do not particularly like using it for writing English since I usually write quickly. The Pelikan broad nib has been included to show that the 149's fine is not really a fine.

Edited June 4, 2011 by APHK

June 5, 2011

Great review! I also want to purchase a Pilot 823, the smoked finish. The filling system seems the best part of this great pen. The only drawback for me is the nib size: I like really broad nibs and stubs, but I don't know if the 823 B nib is too fine for my taste.

June 5, 2011

Thank for this excellent review. - "The vacuum on the 823 works wonderfully and holds a very large amount of ink (especially when using the double dip method that minimizes the remaining air bubble in the chamber"- What is the double dip method ?

June 5, 2011

have also a heard a good number of times.

Please explain the double dip ink fill

June 5, 2011

APHK,

Thanks for the thoughtful review and photos, I enjoyed both!

Best wishes

Jon

Edited June 5, 2011 by Jonst

June 5, 2011

I first learnt of the "double dip" method from Signum1's review (https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/index.php?/topic/196924-pilot-custom-823-medium-14k-nib).

Usually when filling the 823, there is a large air bubble (representing 30% of the capacity) that remains in the barrel and hence preventing more ink being sucked in. That air bubble can be dispelled by:

1. Pulling the plunger all the way back

2. Hold pen with nib at top and flicking the pen until the air bubble moves to the top near the nib feed.

3. Push the plunger back into the barrel carefully and slowly so that the air bubble is expelled. Maintain pressure on the plunger BUT do not push further into the barrel.

4. Dip the nib back into the ink (whilst maintaining the pressure on the plunger) and then push the plunger all the way in. A second intake of ink would thus be achieved.

June 5, 2011

Thanks for the review! I am waiting on a Pilot 823 and a 149 in the mail, so your review made the anticipation all the greater!

June 6, 2011

I have the 823 and can second your excellent review. It's not flashy like the 149. I think of it as a stealth pen, with a smaller nib, less shiny resin, and a wonderfully fun mechanism that doesn't draw attention to itself. I have a "B" and it writes like a fat, wet "M". I like the circumference and weight, they are perfect for my hands. I wish it were a tad shorter though. Not much, just a bit shorter. I don't think I'd like the 149 based on increased girth and weight. I guess the 823 is more like the 146 in size?

One note on filling to 100%: It's really easy if you have the Visconti travelling ink pot. Insert the pen into the pot, turn upside down and work the plunger twice. Voila.

June 6, 2011

I have the 823 and can second your excellent review. It's not flashy like the 149. I think of it as a stealth pen, with a smaller nib, less shiny resin, and a wonderfully fun mechanism that doesn't draw attention to itself. I have a "B" and it writes like a fat, wet "M". I like the circumference and weight, they are perfect for my hands. I wish it were a tad shorter though. Not much, just a bit shorter. I don't think I'd like the 149 based on increased girth and weight. I guess the 823 is more like the 146 in size?

One note on filling to 100%: It's really easy if you have the Visconti travelling ink pot. Insert the pen into the pot, turn upside down and work the plunger twice. Voila.

I have only handled a 146 at the boutique. From the photos comparing the 149 and 146, I guess that the 823 is slightly longer than the 146 but the girth of the section would be slightly narrower.

June 6, 2011

Thanks for the review! I am waiting on a Pilot 823 and a 149 in the mail, so your review made the anticipation all the greater!

What a coincidence! Both would be competing for your attention. I am sure you would love both. One would be more cherished just because of the price but the other would get more use.

October 2, 2011

Very interesting review. I never had a 149, but have had the 146 and other mont blancs. I have sworn not to buy them anymore after I got my first sailor 1911. A Togi, a Realo medium, then an Cross Concord followed, but always there was the wish for more in capacity. The Sailors only hold 0,9ml or so and certainly the Togi writes quite wet. So I bought the Visconti Wall Street LE, which holds tons of ink and has one of the very best ink systems ever, but it's really (top) heavy and not my type of writer.

Two weeks ago I got an 823 by accident. An amber one with a medium nib that writes like a fine one.

I havent touched any other pen, I've been just using the 823. Lots of ink, sturdy build, nice filler system, superb nib that is much more springy than the sailors but also a little bit less smooth.

The 823 is so good I ordered a clear one as well. The amber one is fed with kiwa-guro and the clear one will get sei-boku or penman sapphire.

What I noticed is that my 1911 Realo with medium nib has a little bit more tooth than the 823 medium.The Naginata Togi medium is really smooth and even a bit (but not much) smoother than my 823. However, the Medium Togi is a real West-Europe medium and really wet and the 823 is a European fine (and not a medium-fine, but really fine) and writes wettish. Certainly not dry, but also not a wet noodle.

What I remember from my 146, Mozart etc. is that they all wrote really wet (, which is an easy way of smoothing out a nib IMHO).

Extensive edit: writing on a phone isn't that easy

Edited October 2, 2011 by alecgold